Festival of A Thousand Stars
by Starcrossed-Destiny
Summary: A dance fanfiction based off of Thinking out loud. Not sorry.


**This is like, a really short one shot that I wrote sporadically because I was listening to Thinking Out Loud, by Ed Sheeran and have a lot of Euphie/Suzaku feels. So, obviously, neither of these things belong to me, and I wrote this in about in hour. Haven't written any fanfic in a long time, and this is my first Anime fanfic, so I feel like that explains a lot. Anyway, enjoy. :)**

There isn't anything spectacular about being a princess. Truly. It's as mundane as any other tireless task that a person could be assigned. There are perks, granted. And perhaps the people you meet is one of those.

Euphemia li Britannia sits in her dimly lit office, flipping through papers. She's been at it so long, the words look more like alphabet soup than actual coherent thoughts. Her shoulders go up and back down when her lungs are done heaving out a long breath. Euphie considers herself a patient person. When she can make people happy and truly achieve something, she is an angel. Dealing with details and technicalities is a completely different story. Cornelia, her sister and the viceroy, certainly has as much work and more.

"But Cornelia is made for this," Euphie says aloud. Before she can blink, the door is swinging open.

"Did you say something, Princess?" asks her knight. Euphie can't help it. She smiles at him, having to duck his head to avoid banging it on the doorpost over him. And that he always calls her princess, no matter how many times she insists he does not. But, she supposes, that's just the way Suzaku is.

"I did," she agrees. "Only to myself." She gives him a smile to make sure he knows she's okay. He watches her for a count of three before nodding and closing the door behind him to assure no one sneaks up whilst his back was turned. Euphie smiles at the papers under her.

That's the way her days go. Sitting at a desk, warding off Suzaku whenever he thinks she might be in imminent danger, (though he's almost always wrong and just being overly cautious) shuffling through papers mindlessly, (the pile continues to grow) and daydreaming the time away (like she is just then). There's always some menial task to be completed but never enough time in the day. Well. Perhaps they aren't menial to the people that ordered the services.

Euphie pushes back her chair in a spur of the moment decision. She's gotten good at those. She gathers up the cream-pink tulle skirt of her dress to cross the room and pushes open the window she insisted on having. There isn't too much the princess will insist on, but natural light and fresh air are two of those things.

Euphie breaths in the summertime humidity and has to smile again. That's the odd thing about Area 11, er, Japan. As opposed to the homeland that is mostly gloomy and grey and rainy, here it is colorful and bright. It does rain, as do most places in the modern world. But there is so much more to it than there was in mainland Britannia. So much more to do, so many diverse people. Euphie sucks on the inside of her cheek. Perhaps some of that is not for the best. This Zero character seems to think so.

Lelouch. Yes, she knows it's him. She asked him, back on the island and she saw his face. He looks just the same as he ever did, but he seems entirely different. Euphie traces a fingertip across the polished wood of the windowpane. Always rebellious of course, but this is not anything like he did before. Not in the slightest.

The door handle shudders and it swings open once more. Euphie prepares her business face but it doesn't stay long because it's only Suzaku again.

She giggles.

"I haven't even said anything this time."

Suzaku smiles good-naturedly.

"Don't worry, my lady, it's not just me checking up on you. I hope you're okay though," he adds hurriedly.

"I've never been better, thank you," Euphie says warmly. They lock eyes for a moment before Suzaku looks away. Euphie silently curses herself for not holding him longer. Ever since she told him she loved him what seems like ages ago, and he seemingly requited, neither have really known what to say. Euphie can see he admires her. It's in the way he checks on her every five minutes, and holds the door for her, and bows to her every time he sees her, and lets her hold his elbow, and even more than all that, she can see it in his eyes. Other people may mistake it from afar as the respect one might expect from a knight to his princess. Euphie knows she isn't the smartest of her many siblings, but she can tell the difference. But that doesn't make the simple things like conversation any easier.

"Very well," Euphie says slowly. "What do you need?"

"Right," Suzaku says clearing his throat. "One of the heralds from Viceroy Cornelia would like me to remind you that you are expected to appear at the festival of A Thousand Stars tonight. The celebrations start at 19:30 hours."

Euphie tries not to look sly, but it doesn't work.

"So that means we'll be expected to appear," she comments.

"Well, yes, it would seem that way," Suzaku says awkwardly, shifting on his lanky legs. Euphie smiles, but lets it go.

The festival was an annual tradition that was supposed to praise honorary Britanians for their services while supporting their heritage. It goes basically without saying that none of the royal family or any of the Britanians by blood ever cared too much to show up, but as soon as Euphemia heard of it, she insisted on coming. It would be a slow but steady step to showing the Japanese how much she truly cares for them, not to mention her determination to set the Specially Administrated Zone into place.

"Festival of A Thousand Stars," she muses. "That reminds me of my favorite song."

"Yeah?" Suzaku prompts. "Have I heard it?"

"Probably not," Euphie tells him. "With you being so busy and all." She sticks her tongue out very daintily at him, which makes him laugh.

"Sing it to me," Suzaku suggests.

"You don't want to hear me sing," Euphie warns him.

"I'm sure you're a lovely singer," Suzaku comments.

"Not really," Euphie says. No reason to deny it. "But I could show it to you." She gathers up her skirts again and sinks into the chair behind her desk. She types away at her issues computer, the keys making pleasant clicking sounds as she goes on. "Here," she says triumphantly. She hits a button on the keyboard and the music starts playing. Instantly, her heart melts in her chest like it always does, every time she hears the opening note.

She closes her eyes without thinking about it, and when she opens her eyes, Suzaku is smiling at her.

"What?" she asks.

"I can tell you like it," he says gently.

"I did say it is my favorite," Euphie tells him. She looks him over and makes another instant decision. "Dance with me, Suzaku," she orders.

He actually takes a step back.

"Um, Princess?"

"Oh come on," Euphie says, jumping to her feet and holding her hands out to him. "It's meant to be a dancing song."

"I think I'll ruin it," Suzaku decides.

"Don't be silly," Euphie dismisses.

"But I never learned how," her knight protests.

"Well, let's fix that," Euphie says. "If you're going to be involved with the royal family at all, you have to learn to dance." She puts his hand on her hip and grips his shoulder. He laces his long finger through her free hand. "See, you already get it," she says confidently.

"Euphie," Suzaku says, which warms her down to her toes. They start to sway a little, but neither are really paying attention. "Haven't you heard the phrase, 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks?'"

Euphie raises one of her pale eyebrows but can't help to laugh. "You're seventeen," she points out.

Suzaku shrugs, but he laughs with her. "Point well taken."

They don't talk much as the song goes on. Euphie leads more than he does, but that's fine with her. She's content to watch his eyes light up with the words of the song. She points her toes with each step as she was taught back in the mainland, where balls were almost a daily thing. She twirls, her skirt twirling with her, and back into Suzaku's arms. He keeps watching her, completely amused.

"One day, there won't be any more parties for me to go to," Euphie says quietly, as to not interrupt the song. "One day, none of these people will remember me."

"I will," Suzaku says. "I will always remember you for your impeccable dancing skills."

Euphie allows herself to laugh until her sides hurt. Truth be told, she was doing pretty horribly. Trying to waltz with an almost limp partner isn't easy on anyone, especially a dainty princess trying to lead a knight half a foot taller than her.

"You're stepping on my toes," she informs him. Suzaku winces.

"Sorry," he says quickly, trying to step back which only succeeds in pulling her closer to him.

"You are pretty bad at this," Euphie tells him sweetly.

"I thought you were teaching me," he replies innocently. "You haven't directed me a bit."

"Step this way," Euphie suggests. Suzaku steps in sync with her, and they swing their first fluid motion. "See," she says softly. Suzaku gets that humor in his eye and steps on her toes again making her stumble into him.

"Oops," he says half-heartedly.

"You're doing that on purpose," Euphie accuses through laughing.

"I guess I don't know better," Suzaku tells her, that twinkle still in his eye.

"Twirl me," Euphie orders, and he follows, his arm going over her head. Her dress swirls like a flower, and when she comes back, she tucks herself under his chin, just as the song ends. "Was that so bad?" she asks, skipping a breath or two as she realizes how close she is to Suzaku's face.

He shakes his head in response. "I'll not step on your toes next time and I'll be golden," he whispers.

And that was how they spent the rest of the evening before the festival. Euphie wasn't about to let him escape without learning properly.

They were expected to appear at the festival and dance, after all.


End file.
